Regulation
Apple Siri AI Settlement Opens Claims to Eligible iPhone Owners
Add Unite.AI to your preferred sources on GoogleEligible iPhone owners in the United States can begin submitting claims on September 21, 2026, in the $250 million settlement of Landsheft v. Apple Inc., a class action over Siri Apple Intelligence features, according to the case’s official settlement website.
The settlement covers U.S. residents who were the original purchasers of an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or any iPhone 16 model (iPhone 16, 16e, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, or 16 Pro Max) bought in the United States between June 10, 2024, and March 29, 2025, for personal or business use and not for resale. The lawsuit alleged that consumers purchased the devices expecting to receive certain Siri Apple Intelligence features that they allegedly did not receive. Apple denies all of the allegations and denies that it did anything improper or unlawful, and the settlement documents state that the agreement is not an admission of guilt or wrongdoing. The settlement class excludes Apple, any entity in which Apple has a controlling interest, Apple’s directors, officers, and employees, its legal representatives, successors, and assigns, and the judicial officers assigned to the case together with their staff and immediate family members.
Claims are filed online through the administrator’s portal, with separate tracks for individuals and for businesses or entities. Under the executed settlement agreement, the claim form requires each claimant to confirm the device was purchased in the United States during the class period, to supply information verifying the purchase such as a device serial number, Apple Account ID, or phone number associated with the device, and to confirm that at the time of purchase the claimant expected to receive a Siri Apple Intelligence feature and did not receive it. The form does not require certification under penalty of perjury, and claimants may elect payment by physical check or digital payment. Verita Global, LLC, the settlement administrator appointed by the court, maintains the settlement website, reviews submissions for validity, and will reject claims that are duplicative or fraudulent.
Payment Terms of the $250 Million Fund
Apple agreed to pay a total settlement amount of $250 million into a non-reversionary qualified settlement fund. Class members who personally submit valid claims will receive a presumptive payment of $25 per eligible device, which may be increased pro rata up to a cap of $95 per device or decreased pro rata depending on the total value of valid claims submitted. The costs of notice and administration, taxes, any award of attorneys’ fees and litigation costs, and any service awards are deducted from the fund before distribution. The administrator’s notice and administration costs are capped at $5,444,056, and class counsel will apply for service awards of up to $2,000 per named plaintiff; the parties reached no agreement on the amount of attorneys’ fees and expenses class counsel will seek from the fund.
If money remains after per-device payments reach the $95 cap, the parties will confer on distributing the balance, with any cy pres recipient subject to court approval, and in no event do settlement funds revert to Apple. Payments to valid claimants are to be transmitted within 60 calendar days after the settlement’s effective date, and settlement checks become void 120 calendar days after issuance. In her July 17, 2026 preliminary approval order, Judge Noel Wise required the parties to report to the court before paying any claim above the $95 cap and barred claims payments before final approval, noting the parties’ explanation at the July 8, 2026 hearing that exceeding the cap was a low probability.
Litigation History and Preliminary Approval
The case began on March 19, 2025, when Peter Landsheft sued Apple in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, according to the case docket. Seven related cases were consolidated under Landsheft, and a May 22, 2025 order appointed Ryan J. Clarkson, Brian Danitz, and Laurence D. King as interim co-lead counsel. The consolidated amended complaint filed July 21, 2025, asserted claims under California’s Unfair Competition Law, False Advertising Law, Consumers Legal Remedies Act, and Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, the consumer protection statutes of other U.S. states, and common-law theories including fraud, negligent misrepresentation, breach of contract, breach of warranty, and unjust enrichment. Apple moved to dismiss the complaint on September 25, 2025.
The parties mediated before retired Judge Layn R. Phillips on October 24, 2025, December 8, 2025, and March 23, 2026, and filed a joint notice of settlement on December 18, 2025. They executed the settlement agreement as of May 5, 2026, the same day the plaintiffs moved for preliminary approval, and a second consolidated amended complaint filed May 1, 2026, set out the nationwide settlement class. A recital in the settlement agreement states that Apple has delivered more than 20 Apple Intelligence features and anticipates delivering additional Siri Apple Intelligence features in future software updates at no additional cost.
Judge Wise granted preliminary approval on July 17, 2026, finding the settlement fair, reasonable, and adequate and the product of serious, informed, arms-length negotiations. Her preliminary approval order conditionally certified the nationwide settlement class, appointed the class representatives and class counsel, and confirmed Verita Global as administrator. The order rejected a May 19, 2026 opposition filed by five named plaintiffs represented by Pomerantz LLP who sought subclass divisions, with the court finding that the underlying value of the Enhanced Siri features is the same across all eligible devices.
Remaining Deadlines
The deadline to submit a claim, request exclusion from the settlement, or file an objection is December 21, 2026. Claims must be submitted online or postmarked by that date, and objections must be filed with the court or postmarked by the same day. The court-approved notice program includes email notice sent in multiple waves, postcard notice, an online media campaign through platforms such as Google and Meta, publication notice, the settlement website, and a toll-free telephone line with English and Spanish options.
The court will hold a final approval hearing on February 24, 2027, in San Jose, where it will determine whether the settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate. An August 13, 2026 order reset that hearing from its original date of September 29, 2027, and an August 28, 2026 stipulated order extended the notice, claims, objection, and exclusion deadlines. Class members who do not submit a claim remain bound by the settlement and its releases unless they timely opt out, and only class members who file a timely written objection may appear at the final approval hearing.